Tied with São Paulo, Fluminense and Bahia, Palestra emerges in the table with the best goal difference
Palmeiras is the leader of the Brazilian Championship at the end of the third round. The team beat Internacional 3-1 this Thursday (12) and has seven points, tied with São Paulo, Fluminense and Bahia, but with a better goal difference. The Colorados have just one point and are in 19th.
The match was not one of great superiority. The two teams alternated moments of dominance, in an intense first half, with goals from Gustavo Gómez and Ronaldo. The second stage was more physically demanding and gave Palmeiras the advantage, opportunistically by Vitor Roque, after a mistake by the Colorado defense. Another failure still resulted in third, with Andreas Pereira.
On Sunday (15), Palmeiras closes the first phase of the Campeonato Paulista against Guarani, at Arena Barueri, before facing Fluminense in the fourth round of the Brasileirão. Internacional has Remo ahead of them, but first the team faces Ypiranga, in the semifinals of the Campeonato Gaúcho.
Both teams attacked early. Palmeiras started to impose themselves more and pose more danger to Internacional. The São Paulo team did well inside, especially with Allan.
In exception, on the left, shirt 40 dug the corner that led to the goal. Andreas Pereira made a perfect charge for Gustavo Gómez to rise above the mark and head in, opening the score.
Inter reached the draw after Palmeiras hesitated. Allan wasted attack by finishing instead of playing with free teammates. On the counterattack, Alan Patrick hit the mark, and the ball fell to Ronaldo, with a volley, to equalize.
The equality on the scoreboard, however, would already be fair after the hydration break, when Paulo Pezzolano realigned the team. The Colorados increased the pressure and maintained it after the goal, while Palmeiras just held on. Carlos Miguel even saved a header almost on the line.
Although Palmeiras rebalanced the match after the break, the game became less creative. The plays were truncated in the middle.
It made a difference when Palmeiras preferred a long throw. Vitor Roque received it and seemed to be well marked, but Bruno Gomes and Gabriel Mercado left it for each other, and the number 9 was free to shoot. The ball even deflected off Félix Torres before going in to put Palmeiras back in front.
This time, Inter were unable to react in the same way. Palmeiras had more peace of mind to play, even without the intense volume they showed in the first half.
Abel Ferreira closed the team down more, giving up major actions and calling Inter to his field. Worn out, the team from Rio Grande do Sul was unable to scare Palmeiras.
Soon after substitutions that reinforced the defensive system, the Palmeiras team expanded with the participation of players who had recently joined, taking advantage of a new market failure. Luighi stole the ball from the defender, passed it to Lucas Evangelista, who left Andreas Pereira, without the goalkeeper in front of him, to score the third. Even with pressure from Inter, there was nothing more that could be done.
TECHNICAL SHEET
INTERNATIONAL 1 X 3 PALMEIRAS
INTERNATIONAL: Rochet; Bruno Gomes, Gabriel Mercado, Victor Gabriel (Félix Torres) and Bernabei; Ronaldo (Alerrandro) and Paulinho (Aguirre); Vitinho, Alan Patrick (Alan Rodríguez) and Carbonero (Kayky); Borré. Coach: Paulo Pezzolano.
PALM TREES: Carlos Miguel; Khellven, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo and Piquerez (Jefté); Marlon Freitas, Andreas Pereira, Allan (Lucas Evangeista) and Maurício (Luighi); Flaco López (Giay) and Vitor Roque (Ramón Sosa). Coach: Abel Ferreira.
GOALS: Gustavo Gómez, at 23, and Ronaldo, at 35 minutes of the first half; Vitor Roque, at six, and Andreas Pereira, at 36 minutes of the second half.
ARBITRATOR: Davi de Oliveira Lacerda (ES).
YELLOW CARDS: Paulinho (Inter); Andreas Pereira (Palmeiras)
PUBLIC: 20,082 fans.
INCOME: R$ 532.841,50.
LOCAL: Beira-Rio, in Porto Alegre.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
